Undergarment.



G. E. RUTLEDGE.

UNDERGARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. I915.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

5 M w W E 5 5 M 6 a Z s. E RUTLEDGE.

UNDERGARMENT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. 1915.

19162.,655. PatentedN ov. 30,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- such to allow freedom of movement without disre erasArena orrron GEORGE E. RUTLEDGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0VASSAR SWISS UNDER- WEAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION.

UNDERGARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Nov. 30, 19115..

Application filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,205,

' Zo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. RUTLEDGE, citizen of the United States,resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Undergarments, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the union suit type of undergarment made ofeither elastic or non-elastic material, as preferred.

The object of mv invention is to provide a union undergarment cut orfashioned in a way that there will be ample fullness comfort. I

A further object is to provide a union undergarment which .will fit thebody of the wearer and having improved means for covering and concealingthe seat opening.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription..

g or shirt portions.

garment all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, Figure 1is a front View of an undergarment embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is arear view with the seat opening closed, Fig. 3 is a similar view,showing the flap in its open position and the seat opening exposed, Fig.4 is a detail view of the gore that is inserted in one side of the seatopening.

In the drawing, 2 represents the front section of the garment, which, asshown, is preferably made in one piece extending from the top tothe'bottom of the garment and provided with a central opening 3, asusual in garments of this type. The back of the garment has an upper orshirt portion 4:, corresponding sfibstantially in shape to the upperportion of the front section 2 and secured thereto by side seams 5,extending downwardly from the armholes 6 on each side of the garment. Aneck opening 7 is provided, on each side of which are scams 8 connectingthe forward and rear upper The section 4 terminates at the waist lineand to its lower edge is stitched a cross band 9 extending preferablyfrom side to side of the garment. The lower rear or drawers portion ofthe garment is preferably made in sections 10 and 11 havward and rearleg portions. these sections 10 The invention consists in a unionunderthe lower end of the opening 3 in the front of the garment. Thesections 10 and 11 also have an inner seam 16 intersecting the seam 13in the closed crotch and uniting the for- In cutting out and 11,sufficient fullness is provided to allow freedom of movement of the bodyunder all conditions without strain on the fabric or seams of thegarment and without chafing the wearer. The section 11 is preferably cutat 17 from the waist line down into the leg portion 14: to form a flap18 that is provided with an edge band 19 and with a band 20 at the topthat is stitched at 21 to the band 9 and is provided with a button-hole22 to receive a button 23 on the band 9 near one of the side seams. Whenthis flap is buttoned, the garment will be closed in the back and whenthe flap is un buttoned, the fullness of the rear sections will providefor an unusually large seat opening.

To afford further protection to the wearer of the garment and to holdthe leg portion more securely in its proper position, I prefer toinsert, a gore section 24 in the seat opening, stitched at its upper endto the waist band 9 and on the side to the edge of the section 11 andprovided at its lower end with an inwardly extending tongue 25 whichextends into the seat opening and is stitched at one end to one of theinner seams of the leg portion. When the flap is closed, the gore 24will be concealed and the tongue portion willvprevent the loose edge ofthe section 11 from gaping and causing discomfort to the wearer of thegarment. A garment made in this way will provide suiiicient fullness toallow freedom of forward or backward movement of the body of the wearerwithout the .use inserts, which not only add to the expense ofmanufacture of a garment of this kind, but render it less durable.Furthermore,

of elastic gores or the fullness in the crotch and the seat portion addsto the comfort of the wearer and will obviate any danger of chafing.

In various ways the details of construction of the garment may bemodified and still be within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A union undergarment having rear leg portions and a closed crotch anda seat opening, one of said leg portions having a drop flap for normallyclosing said seat opening and a gore inserted in said seat opening andstitched to the loose edge of said other leg portion and having a tonguesecured'at one end to the inner leg seam near the crotch of the garment,as and for the purpose specified.

2. A union undergarment comprising a front section having an uppershirt" portion and a lower drawers portion and a longitudinal opening,an upper back portion stitched.

to the shirt portion of said front section and terminating near thewaist line, a cross band having its upper edge stitched to said backportion and extending across the garment, a

' lower leg or drawers section. seamed on the sidesto the correspondingsection of the front of the garment and having a seat.opening and aloose drop flap stitched on one side to one end of said cross band anadapted to cover said seat opening and having detachable means forfastening it on the other side of the garment to the other end ofsaid-band and a gore inserted in the seat opening and underlying saiddrop flap when fastened, said gore having its upper endsecured to saidcross band, its side united to the rear leg portion along the line ofthe downward slit therein, and its lower end secured to the innersurface of the leg portion below the crotch.

3. A union undergarment comprising a front section having an upper shirtportion and a lower drawers portion and a centrally arranged,longitudinal opening, a back section composed of shirt and drawersportions stitched to said front section, the drawers portion of thegarment having a closed crotch and a seat opening and a flap for closingsaid seat opening, and a tongue connecting the edge of theseat openingon one side of the drawers portion with the inner seam of the leg on thedrawers on the same side of the garment, .said tongue being unattachedbetween said points.

4. A,union undergarment comprising an upper shirt portion and a lowerdrawers portion, the drawers portion having a closed crotch, one of thelegs ofthe drawers portion being slit lengthwise at a point near themiddle portion of the back thereof, said slit extending to a point belowthe crotch to form a'seat opening and 'a flap therefor, the upper edgeof the flap being free across the seat opening and on the other side ofthe seat opening from said slit being stitched to the garment near thewaist line, and a gore inserted in the seat opening and normallyunderlying said flap, said gore having its upper end secured to saidgarment substantially at the waist line, its side united to the rear legportion along the line of the downward slit therein, and its lower endGEORGE E. RUTLEDGEQ Witnesses:

GENEVIEVE E. SORENSEN, EDWARD A. PAUL.

